PHOENIX — Offense comes and goes, Rob Thomson says.
It’s why he’s sticking with the same lineup that includes third baseman Alec Bohm in the cleanup spot and Bryson Stott hitting fifth for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
Both of the Phillies’ young middle-of-the-order bats have struggled offensively in the playoffs. Since his grand slam in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series, Stott is 5-for-23 with no extra-base hits.
He’s been at the plate in big situations and has come through at times. The grand slam and the single against Friday’s opener Joe Mantiply to keep a big inning going in Game 2 are his best moments of the postseason so far, but he has hit into two big double plays. One came in the bottom of the first inning in Game 1 of the NLDS and the other came on Friday when he had a 3-1 count with two runners on in a tie game in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the NLCS.
He has struck out in 11 of his 35 plate appearances in the postseason so far.
He struck out in just 15.6% of plate appearances during the regular season.
“I think they’re somehow getting him to chase a little bit more,” Thomson said before Friday’s game. “They’re getting ahead. He takes a lot of first pitches. I think they’re getting ahead and I think they’re getting him to chase somehow. That 3-2 pitch he struck out yesterday [in the top of the second of Game 2], rarely would you see that with him.”
There was some conversation from fans about moving Bohm out of the cleanup spot. He has played excellent at third base throughout the postseason, but he’s batting .188 with a .579 OPS this postseason.
Thomson said the only replacement for Bohm in the cleanup spot would be Nick Castellanos, who is hitless in his last five at-bats with four strikeouts. Castellanos showed incredible plate discipline during the Division Series, but he began chasing offspeed pitches out of the zone in Game 3.
Thomson said he did not think at all about moving Bohm out of the four spot. He does not believe that moving Bohm would have any impact on the pitches Bryce Harper will get to hit in front of him. Harper had only one pitch to hit in the strike zone during the entirety of Game 3. He grounded out on that pitch in the first inning.
“Who knows who is going to have a big hit?” Thomson said.
Phillies Notes
- Thomson indicated that starter Cristopher Sánchez will throw a maximum of around 60-75 pitches. His last full start was Sept. 24 against the Mets.
- “The sim game the other day was really good and it doesn’t even look like he was lost,” Thomson said when asked to explain his decision to throw Sánchez. “Throwing strikes. His changeup was good. If he does that here, he’ll be fine, you know. But I just think he’s been throwing the ball well. I like his demeanor. His changeup’s working. I like it against this group.”
- Taijuan Walker will sit in the bullpen for Game 4. He could factor into the Phillies’ pitching plans. The concern with Walker is that it takes him some time to warm up, but Walker indicated to Thomson that he should have no problem getting ready quickly for a relief outing.
“He said, ‘No. I’ll be fine.’ So it’s going to take a little bit more than a normal reliever, but not like a normal starter,” Thomson said.
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